Open invitation
America’s best hope to defy tennis odds
No American man has won the U.S. Open tennis tournament since Andy Roddick in 2003. No American woman has won the title since Serena Williams in 2002. The prospects for an American woman winner in this year’s tournament, which begins Monday, are better than for an American man, but things aren’t exactly rosy.
U.S. Davis Cup captain and television commentator Patrick McEnroe is always looking on the bright side of American tennis, while keeping an eye on what’s happening in the shadows. He’d like to think that an American would have a great shot at a title this year, but knows that he can’t flat out predict one.
The men’s tennis world is ruled by the gritty Spaniard Rafael Nadal, the paramount Swiss Roger Federer and the emerging Serb Novak Djokovic. The women’s world is a bit uncertain and less predictable, with the retirement of 2007 U.S. Open champ Justine Henin and the possible season-ending shoulder injury to 2006 winner Maria Sharapova.
First the men.
“We basically have two top-10 players,” McEnroe said of Roddick and James Blake. “If you compare us to the rest of the world, we are doing pretty well. If you compare us to our recent past, (that would be Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi) then we aren’t doing as well. Blake and Roddick are legitimate top-10 players. They both have a chance to make a good run at the Open, though they certainly wouldn’t be favorites.”
Roddick began the year playing well. He beat Nadal and Djokovic on his way to a hard-court title in Dubai in March. He beat Federer in Miami. But a series of injuries has hampered his season, kept him out of the Olympics and dulled his game. Recent losses to unknowns make Roddick an unknown for the fortnight.
“On the women’s side, the absence of Henin and Sharapova creates opportunities for many players, including Serena and Venus Williams, who won Wimbledon in July.
“Serena to me is more dangerous on hard courts than Venus because she’s a little more well-rounded,” McEnroe said. “I think their motivation at the big events is there. The mistake people make is that if they play well, they are going to win. They aren’t as dominant as they were.”